Next Generation West Family
by SpitfireYJ
Summary: This is about the life of Artemis and Wally's family after the young justice series has ended. Wally does however come out of the speedforce and will be there. Some chalant, supermartian, and aquarocket. But it mainly surfaces around spitfire.
1. Chapter 1

December 25, 06:37, 2018

"Mommy!" Richie yelled at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face as he stood there waiting in his crib. "Mommy!" Artemis came strolling in the room with her arms held out for him.

"I'm sorry, Rich Rich, I've been tired lately." she explained to the crying one year old in her arms. "I haven't had your father to help me out, you would've love to meet him, this is the first christmas where this will actually really affect me." she told him as she rubbed soothing circles on his back.

"Daddy?" he asked. She nodded sadly before picking up a picture of her and him when they were in the cave. She showed the boy the picture before placing it down on the stand it was previously on. "Where Daddy?" he asked confused.

"Daddy went to a place where he's watching over you, he's found a new place before he could say goodbye." she said before wiping a tear from her eyes before walking to the kitchen.

"I see him?" he asked. His green orbs filled with so much hope, the same ones that Wally once had, his blonde hair swooping into his eyes as he stares up at his mom anticipating the answer. She looked down at the boy before placing him in his highchair.

"That's what I'm afraid of." she whispered before ruffling his hair and answering the question in a positive way. "Rich, one day you'll get to meet him but that day hasn't come yet." she told him before reaching into the freezer for the toaster strudel.

"Okay." he said sadly. She placed it in the toaster before walking up to the boy and sitting in front of him.

"You know what today is?" she asked with a sad smile.

"Cave day?" he said questioningly.

"Well technically yes, but the correct answer was Christmas buddy." he perked up in his seat before the toaster strudel popped up.

"That mean lots of food!" he cheered before digging into the breakfast, his eyes now started to glow and get brighter with the second. Artemis laughed at her son before pouring herself a bowl of Lucky Charms and eating with him.

"Just like him, even with food in front of him it's always on his mind. But yes, Rich, it means a lot of food and people swarming around you. You enjoy that don't you?" he nodded his head rapidly with a smile. "I'm sure you do." she laughed before they finished up their meals.

"See grama, grampa, else?" he asked.

"Yep, but that's later in the day." she said before pulling him out of the highchair and taking his hand. "We need to wash you up though." as soon as she said that he took off running down the hall. "Richard!" she yelled as she saw him zipping around a little above average speed. "Good thing your not older." she stepped forward and anticipated his next move before he sped by, she pulled her arms out and caught him with a smile. "I caught you." she said smirking.

"No Mommy, No!" he yelled trying to squirm out of her arms.

"We aren't doing that yet, first we're opening presents." he stopped moving and let his mom move him around. "You stop at the mention of gifts." he nodded his head rapidly before they walked into the living room. She handed him a box before he tore it open with a smile.

"Georgie!" he yelled at the curious george book in his hand. His mom smiled the scene before handing him another present. He ripped this one opened even faster before his mouth started gaping.

"Jake! Thanks Mommy!" he yelled at the Jake and the Neverland Pirates CD. He then squealed before hugging his mom tightly with a smile.

"You're welcome Richie." she said. They continued to open presents for another hour before they were gone and she lifted the boy up. "You know what time it is." she said slowly. He nodded his head but didn't run away this time but instead hugged her tighter.

"I choose clothes." he told her. She gave him a look before putting him down on thee floor in his room.

"What do you want to wear?" he went straight to thee shirt drawers and searched for his favorite shirt. He pulled out a kid flash shirt and some skinny jeans. "Really?" she asked. He nodded his head rapidly. "You are a one year old and have more style than me, good job." she picked him up and took him in the bathroom before placing him in the tub.

He babbled as she washed him and she watched with a smile as she cleaned him and his hair occasionally saying something when he wanted. "Done?" he asked. She nodded before lifting the boy up and into the towel. "Kid flash, kid flash," he began to chant when she put the clothes on him. "I wanna be him day." he told his mom with a grin. She looked a little thrown back before he spoke again. "I good enough to be like him?" he asked her. She nodded before answering the question fully.

"Yeah Richie, you are good enough. When did you start wanting to do that?" she asked a little nervously. She didn't want her baby boy to end up how his father did but she also knew that one day it would pop.

"I don't know," he said honestly before standing up. "Cave?" he asked before going out the door. She nodded before picking him up from behind and walking up to the diaper bag before moving towards the front door. "See Uncle Dick!" he cheered. She nodded before walking through thee zeta tubes with a smile.

"Artemis B07, override Richie A14" the cave announced in a monotone voice. Everyone came into the room with a smile as they saw them walk through.

"Uncle Dick!" Richie yelled. Everyone laughed as Artemis set him down and he took off to the ex boy wonder.

"Hey Rich, you miss me?" he asked as the boy held him tightly. He nodded his head up and down vigorously before squeezing him even tighter. "Hey Arty, how you doing?" she smiled at the subtlety before answering.

"Fine enough, Merry Christmas." she told them each. They nodded before they each said it back with cheery smiles on their faces. "Still enjoying college life?" she asked him with a smile.

"It's good, besides doing all the work, I'm swamped, how about you?" he asked.

"Same, except add a one year old in the mix, just glad this is my last year." she told him honestly while looking at the boy in his arms.

"Well we're here if you need us." he told her truthfully. She only nodded as a response before he spoke again. "Cool shirt for the little guy." she smiled before speaking on it.

"He chose his outfit out for today, already knowing how to dress more stylish than me." they each laughed before she stood up and left Richie with him trying to find the girls. It wasn't a long search cause they grabbed her before yanking her into M'gann's room and locking the door. "For some reason I really don't feel safe anymore." she said before sitting down.

"That's okay." Zatanna told her with a smile. Her and M'gann walked over closer before sitting next to her on the bed.

"So, how you holding up with it being Christmas, having a one year old, and the love of your life not around?" M'gann asked her. Both of the other girls in the room gave her a look. "Sorry, I've been told that I should cut to the point more often and didn't mean to hurt you if I did." they each laughed at that before Artemis shook her head no.

"I'm fine for the matter at the moment. I mean I miss Wally but I have to worry about our son and there's definitely times where I feel that I really need him but I'm okay for the most part. Richie's doing fine so I'll be fine. He asked me about being Kid Flash when he's older today though, it really threw me off guard." they each gave her a sympathetic look.

"What he say?" Zatanna asked shortly after. She now made eyes contact and Artemis sat up a little taller before answering.

"He said 'you think that I'm good enough to be Kid Flash one day' after he said 'I'm going to be him one day' it was shocking. I didn't even know he wanted to be Kid Flash, he's one, it scares me. I don't want him to end up like, well, Wally." they nodded understandingly. "Wally was an amazing hero, yeah I still do the work also but still, I don't want to drag Richie into it. I feel like I still have this kind of debt thing going on, like I need to. Wally did what he loved, saving lives, and he ended up disappearing without a trace and is now missing out on our son's life. He didn't know about the little guy though." she told them. She was here pouring her heart out, she couldn't let her son suffer a fate like his father's.

"You didn't tell him about the whole your related to Kid Flash thing, right?" she nodded her head.

"If I did it would add more to the flame. He's just so young, how did that thought even come into his head?" she asked.

"Mommy!" Richie yelled at the top of his lungs. Artemis laughed before standing up and walking towards the door.

"I guess duty calls." she said before walking back to the living room with the smile still on her face. "You called." she said before pulling him into her arms.

"I just wanted hug." he told her with a smile. She squeezed him tightly before tickling his stomach with a big smile on her face. "NO!" he yelled. She only tickled more as the giggles began to fill the cave all around. Dick smiled at his friend before pulling out his phone and recording about a minute before stopping.

"I'm done now." she told him with a smile. He placed his arms over his stomach and pouted before turning his back to her. "Come on, Richie, I know your not mad." he stood there with the pout on his face and his arms crossed. She grabbed him before giving him a hug. He hugged back but still pouted.

"Still mad." he told her with a smirk. She only hugged him tighter before letting him go.

"I highly doubt that." she told him with a laugh. The boy's face however softened before he sat down next to his mom on the couch and leaned on her. "You tired?" she asked. He looked at her before giving out a little grunt.

"No Mommy, I not tired. I just hungry again." he told her with a smile. She only shook her head before reaching into his diaper bag and handing him a Chewy bar. "Thank you." he said before opening it quickly and scarfing it down.

"It's gone already, geez." she ruffled his hair before stretching her back out. Everyone began to walk into the living room with smiles before sitting in a circle. "Something tells me I'm really not going to like whatever's about to happen." she told them before leaning back.

"That's because you probably won't, we want to play a game with you." Conner said to the point. "It involves food." he said as if to convince her.

"Wanna play!" Richie shouted. They each laughed at the little boy before they nodded their heads to him.

"We knew you would." Dick said before highfiving the little boy. He turned back to his mom before he started to speak. "The game is where we put food in front of you and you have to choose the less of two evils and eat one, well actually, it's not that bad." she shook her head.

"Why in anyway does that sound fun to you? I'm scared of you giving me food poisoning!" she shouted out. They laughed at her before Dick spoke again.

"We won't, you have my word, I can't make Richie take care of his mommy for that long." she laughed before looking at the boy that was giving her wide pleading eyes.

"Fine, just nothing too gross, we have other places to be later." she told them. They nodded before dragging her to the kitchen with the plates in front of her. The foods gave off a foul smell but she chose the one on the right quickly. "How much do I have to eat?" she asked nervously.

"You only have to eat a spoonful of each item on the plate." M'gann told her cheerfully.

"I can do that." she said before spooning each item into her mouth. Her face kind of perked up and she ate a little more of it. "This is actually good." she told them as she continued. "What is it?" she asked. Richie began to reach for some of it but was too short to grab anything. She laughed at him before bringing him into her arms and feeding him a small bit.

"You really thought we'd poison you on Christmas, or at all?" she nodded her head slowly at Zatanna before she kept talking. "Well we didn't, it's a recipe that believe it or not, Conner, M'gann, and me threw together." she watched as Richie began to eat more and more faster before she changed the food back to the normal way it looks with magic. "You likey?" she nodded her head.

"I think Richie likes it also." she said before taking the plate away from him. "You ate enough, plus it's nap time." she said before placing him back down. The boy ran to the living room and onto the couch to watch the TV.

"I don't think he wants it." Dick said before looking over to the couch.

"I know he doesn't but he gets cranky if he doesn't sleep enough, I can't deal with him getting cranky." she said before walking to the living room to get him. The boy saw it coming and ran behind his uncle trying to hide. Dick picked him up before looking back to her then to him.

"If it'll help I'll put him down for you." she nodded before he walked down the hall to her old room. Minutes later he came out with a smile on his face before going straight up to her. "The minute his head touched the pillow he was out like a light, I guess he was tired." he reported back. She smiled before walking into the kitchen and standing in front of everyone else.

"I think that one day I might allow him." she told them. The guys only looked confused but the girls had shocked expressions on their faces. Everyone did the natural thing and waited for her to explain or have someone ask a question.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Conner asked oblivious.

"Richie told me when he's older he wants to be Kid Flash, I think I'll let him. I'm terrified of something happening but it's a way for him to connect to Wally in a way. He has this ability and for me to not allow him to use it how he likes that's not right. My job as a parent is to protect my son but it's also to guide him in the path of doing what makes him happy." they looked at her in a noble way.

"You didn't have to make that decision yet." M'gann told her.

"I know, but having it done makes my life so much easier, I know that he's going to keep asking me about it." she told them admittedly. The air started to fill with the sound of silence again before everyone heard something that made them freeze.

"Kid Flash B03," the cave announced in a monotone voice. Everyone in the room ran to the zeta tubes to see their old friend standing there with a limp.

"Hi guys." he said in a small voice. A tear streamed down Artemis's cheek as she ran up to him a hugged him tightly before he kissed her. The two stayed that way for a couple of minutes and everyone stayed back watching the scene before them confused and in shock. They pulled back from each other but he stayed leaning on her for support. "You miss me?" he asked in the same small voice before everyone began to crowd more around.

"Where were you, how the hell are you back, we all thought we lost you." Artemis asked. He thought about an actual answer before he opened his mouth to speak.

"I was in the speedforce and I kept on running, that's the way I got out. I thought about all of you and refused to forget about this life and kept going until I got home." he said breathily. Artemis walked over to the couch before setting him down slowly to make sure he didn't end up hurting even more. "Sorry for scaring you." he told her before knocking out on the couch.

"How's that for a Merry Christmas, the love of your life is back, that's an amazing present." Zatanna told her with a smile before Artemis started to panic. "What's wrong?" she asked not getting why her friend was suddenly hyperventilating.

"Zee, he was gone for a year and a little more than a half, we have a son that is one years old and he knows nothing about him, not to mention the fault that he's down the hall. I need to find a way to tell Wally so he won't pass out after we get him awake. He's also going to have to program the fact that he missed a year of our son's life." they nodded before hearing groans come from the couch.

"He's going to need something that will give him the energy to power him up, also with some food." they made a energy shake and grabbed the plate from earlier that Richie and Artemis partially ate from. "Someone wake him up." Dick said with the food in hand. They each looked at Artemis before she walked up to him.

"Wally, you need to wake up now." he wouldn't even move an inch. "We have food." she said that part and he sat up slowly. "No surprise there." she said before handing him the energy shake and his friend placing the food down next to him. A moment later everyone walked out the room and gave them some privacy.

"How have you been?" he asked while eating the food in front of him. She bit her lip trying to pace herself before saying anything.

"I've been through a lot in this year and about seven or so months you've been gone. I don't really know where to begin." she told him truthfully. He grabbed her hand before looking her in the eyes.

"How bout the beginning, it seems like a good place for me since I'm kind of slow." he told her. She laughed before taking a deep breath. "Is it that bad?" he asked kind of scared.

"It's not bad at all, just, it was hard and I don't know how you'll react." he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze telling her to continue. "When you disappeared I found out that I was pregnant with a baby boy. When I was undercover I was pregnant but didn't know until after I swear. What I'm saying is that you're a father." he looked thrown back before he sat up straighter.

"What's his name, where is he, does that mean that I missed his first birthday?" he asked the last part sadly now waiting for an answer. She took a deep breath before giving him a small hug and letting go.

"His name is Richard but we call him Richie, right now he's down the hall taking a nap and when he wakes up I promise you can see him. He already turned one and his birthday is actually the same as yours." she told him the last part with a smile.

"Amazing." he said with a smile. "I guess that means that he's cool like me." he said in a boasting way.

"He's pretty cool, my best buddy right there." she told him. Wally smiled at her seeing this type of glow on her, a glow different than all the ones he's seen before. This glow was the look of motherhood on her and he liked it, it was fitting. He couldn't wait to meet their son and hold him but until then he was comfortable sitting there with his love and just talking.


	2. Chapter 2

13:45

"Mommy!" Richie yelled out at the top of his lungs for the second time that day. Wally stiffens as his nerves skyrocket. Artemis grabbed his hand before dragging him down the hall to her old bedroom.

"There's no need to be nervous, he really wants to meet you. You're going to be okay."

Wally reluctantly walked alongside her before she places a hand on the doorknob to open it slowly. It's something he hasn't done in years since the majority of the time when he wanted to come into the room they were in a rush partially.

"You're going to be fine," Artemis said with a smirk that spread through to all her facial features.

They move over to her bed before Wally notices the toddler with blonde hair messy and all over the place from his nap as he stares up to the two of them with those precious green eyes that match his father's. He's the perfect combination of Artemis and Wally, hell all Wally could do was stare at him, and take it all in. His head couldn't wrap around the fact that he had helped to create that little boy. He's messed up a lot in his life, made some mistakes, but that boy wasn't one of them, Artemis and his friends weren't either.

"Hey Rich, are you done sleeping?" she asked while moving that much closer to him. He only nodded as a response before turning away from Artemis to instead look to Wally and reaches for him to pick him up. "See, he even wanted you to take him instead of me." He lifted him nervously.

"H-Hi," Wally stammers out. Artemis laughs at his discomfort while Richie leans his head into the crook of Wally's neck. His arms wrap around Wally as he holds onto the man he's never met before. Richie's always been a bit too friendly with strangers for Artemis's liking, but with Wally, she's grateful he's so warm to him.

The only reason he probably hasn't realized who Wally was is because the room is on the darker side and you can only really see the shadows and outlines of faces. Richie's seen pictures, but not that many. But he's also got a decently good memory for a one-year-old.

"Hi," Richie said before looking up into Wally's eyes and pointing to them. "Green, just like mine." Richie's got this small smirk on his face that spreads warmth all throughout Wally's chest. Wally lets out a laugh while walking out the room.

"That's right baby, he does have the same eyes as you… and that same exact speed. You know why?" she asked with a bright smile. Damn did Wally love that smile. Richie shrugs while lifting his hands up for emphasize. "This is your daddy." Richie's teeny jaw drops as he stares up at the man holding him.

"Daddy?" he asked with a pearly-toothed smile.

Wally only smiles down to him before the little boy climbed higher up into his arms like a little monkey boy to be that much closer. Artemis smiles too at their little moment that she never wanted to end. Their son was finally getting the chance to meet his father that they each believed was dead.

They each had to say goodbye, to find out that that wasn't the end of their story, it's beautifully perfect. She never thought anything like this could be possible, she knew it could happen for other people but never thought it possible for her. She started off on the wrong tracks, but her friends and Wally had accepted her past and made sure she didn't go back in the wrong direction.

She earned this family from her previous struggles, and even the face of death nothing could take them away.

"Didn't I tell you, Baywatch, there was absolutely nothing for you to worry about. Richie adores you, doesn't he?" Richie only buries his head further into his father's neck and balls his hands up into his shirt. "Worried over nothing, babe," she told him with a smirk before patting him on the shoulder.

"Alright, fine, you were right, as you almost always are, but-" Artemis raises an eyebrow to him.

"Definitely can't be the Wally I know, that Wally never admits when he's wrong or that I'm almost always right. Say it again…" she trails off before he bites down on his lip and shakes his head to her.

"Anyway… let's clarify something, the last time you said I was worried over nothing, the world was invaded by aliens." She nodded.

"Okay, so maybe the alien thing was a bit of an understatement." They each laugh before Richie climbed out of Wally's arms and ran off to find his Uncle Dick as he does almost every time he wakes from a nap. "Sorry for making you suffer for three months like that," she apologized full heartedly, but Wally only shrugged it off.

"Well, I guess I kind of made you go through something like that, except I knew you were still alive. You thought I was dead. God, I'm so damn sorry, Arty. I couldn't imagine having to feel the way you must've when finding out I was gone. I couldn't let Barry and Bart go without me, and maybe that makes me selfish, but damn I couldn't stop myself.

"I got so upset when you told me you wanted to go back into the game… but I understood. I understood that calling, that yearning you felt to help others as you felt like you needed to do. In the end, we each gave in to it, but I screwed up, and what's worse, I regret it only partially." Artemis nodded before looking anywhere but at her boyfriend.

"I don't regret you doing it either, though it truly hurt not waking up with you at my side or having you there when Richie was born. But if it wasn't for you, there wouldn't have been a world for him to come into. Thank you, Wally," she whispered to him before her arms wrap around him and his eyes begin to get all teary. They had sat there in silence, just enjoying each other's company for a few minutes before Wally couldn't take it any longer.

"I uh- can I ask you a question? If you don't want to answer, then you don't have to. There's just something that I'm really curious about." Artemis gives him the okay to continue. He takes a deep breath. "Have you been with others after I was presumed, you know, gone?" he asked before looking down to his hands so he didn't have to look at her beautiful olive colored skin.

He hated the thought of another man touching her in the ways that only he's allowed to, but if another man touched her while he was "dead" then he's not allowed to be pissed. But with him being around again, he's not going anywhere. He'll be the last man to touch her, Artemis Crock won't be Artemis Crock for much longer. If he has a say, she'll be Artemis West in a few months.

Artemis lifted his chin up to force him to stare her in the eye. Green against a captivating stormy grey, neither of them able to tear their gazes away from the other. She scooches a bit closer to him before bringing his lips down to her own. When she lets go he finds himself missing the feel of her lips on his own, so warm and welcoming, it's home to Wally as it will be for the rest of his life.

Artemis sighs. "No Wally, I love you too much to move on from you, especially from the way I thought I lost you, not to mention I didn't have the time with Richie being my top priority. I haven't been with anybody, nor do I want to be with anyone besides you," she told him honestly before pulling him back in for another kiss, needing to drown in the world that is Wally. She was in a funk for a while after Wally was gone, but then she found out she was pregnant and that part of him would live on.

Now that she's got him back, she can't let go of that, she can't let go of him. After a minute or two of hitting cloud 9 with him, she found herself pulling away from him for desperately needed air.

"You promise?" he asked. She doesn't answer but instead pulls him in for another kiss, taking his hand in her own at their sides. When she lets go he holds a goofy smile on his face, reminding her of the days when he was a teenager and more of a goofball. "Is that a yes?" She rolled those beautiful grey eyes before giving him another small kiss and pecking his cheek after.

"I promise you, I don't plan on moving on from you," she told him while holding onto him just a bit tighter.

"I'm going to hold you to that, I love you too, by the way." She smiled before they walked to the kitchen. "You mind telling me what today's date is, I never once thought to look at a calendar." Artemis looked to him before forcing him to take a seat.

"Merry Christmas, Wally," she sighs out.

Wally gaped at her before lifting himself out of the chair. He began to run his fingers through his thick red hair before pacing around the room as Artemis just stood watching him grasp all the new information.

"That's not all. You also need to see your family today because I told them Richie and I are coming over, but I'll have to call first." Wally only nods as his breathing picks up in pace, his head shakes as it does the majority of the time he's trying to sort through his thoughts.

"It's Christmas. This is okay, I'm good. I'm perfectly fine," he said slowly, trying to assure himself that everything was actually okay. This is a lot of new information, and his head can't really comprehend it all.

"Let me go make that phone call." Wally nodded before she walked away.

"Hi Mrs. West," Artemis paused for a moment before letting out a laugh. "I'm sorry Marry," she laughed again. "I know, I'm sorry for not calling as often. Richie's been tiring me out, but I'll call more. I promise."

They continued on with their conversation for a few minutes.

"Yes, I'm still coming today. I was actually wondering if I could bring a friend with me?" she asked into the phone. Mary answered yes before their conversation came to an end. "Bye, see you later." Artemis waited for Mary to hang up before getting off the phone too and came back into the room with Wally.


End file.
